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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., is hammering President Donald Trump over surging gas prices tied to the war with Iran, arguing voter frustration could help Democrats win back the House in November.
But four years ago, he urged Republicans not to “play politics” with record prices at the pump under former President Joe Biden.
“The average gas price is now $4.55 per gallon,” Jeffries wrote on social media Friday. “Is this what the golden age in America looks like?”
As the conflict drags on, disruptions to oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz have pushed fuel prices higher. The Trump administration’s effort to end the war appears to be stalling, even as a month-old ceasefire with Iran has largely held.
A container ship sits at anchor in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, as a motorboat passes in the foreground on May 2, 2026. (Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA)
GAS SURGE TIED TO IRAN CONFLICT HITS SWING STATES, TESTING TRUMP’S LOW-PRICE PITCH
Jeffries’ attack on gas prices is part of Democrats’ strategy to focus on affordability, as the party looks to unseat a swath of vulnerable Republicans in battleground House districts this year.
Gas prices have risen on average by more than $1.50 — a roughly 50% increase — since Operation Epic Fury began on Feb. 28, according to AAA.
A recent Fox News Poll found that nearly 60% of voters said gas prices were a “major problem” for their household. Another 29% of respondents said price increases at the pump were a “minor problem.”
Voter concern about persistent inflation has contributed to Democrats holding an eight-point lead over Republicans on the issue, according to the April Fox News survey. Nearly three-quarters of voters believe the U.S. economy is getting worse, matching a record high that Fox News also observed under Biden in April 2023.
“The problem with this reckless war of choice is life has gotten more expensive,” Jeffries told CNBC’s “Squawk…
